Visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao said on Thursday that China and the
United States should make joint efforts to advance bilateral
constructive and cooperative relations. Hu made the remarks when
meeting with US President George W. Bush at the White House.
The two leaders exchanged in-depth views on bilateral relations
and major international and regional issues of common concern. They
reached important consensus during the pragmatic and constructive
talks.
Speaking highly of the momentum of development bilateral
relations were going through, Hu said the important consensus
reached between the two heads of state during their meetings last
year in New York and Beijing was being implemented.
The two countries had made progress in bilateral exchanges and
cooperation in various fields and the two sides had maintained
effective consultations and coordination on major international and
regional issues, noted Hu.
He said Sino-US relations had progressed beyond bilateral
relationship and have had more and more global influence and
strategic significance.
China and the United States had extensive and important common
strategic interests in, and shouldered common responsibilities for,
safeguarding world peace and promoting common development, he
said.
Hu said China and the United States were not only mutual
stake-holders but should also be constructive cooperators,
stressing that both sides should make joint efforts to
comprehensively advance bilateral constructive and cooperative
relations.
Bush shared Hu's view on bilateral relations, saying both
countries had expanded their areas of cooperation, and China, a
great country with remarkably increasing international status, was
a key partner in safeguarding world peace and was playing an
increasingly important role in that regard.
Hu said China and the United States had common strategic
interests in opposing and containing "Taiwan independence" and
safeguarding peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
He voiced his appreciation for statements repeatedly made by
President Bush and the US government on their adherence to the
one-China policy, abidance of the three Sino-US joint communiques
and opposition to "Taiwan independence."
Hu said China holds that the one-China principle is the basis
for maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and
improving and developing cross-Strait relations.
China will, with utmost sincerity and endeavor, strive for a
peaceful national reunification and will never tolerate "Taiwan
independence," stressed the Chinese president.
Bush said the US government's position on the Taiwan question
has not changed and the United States would stick to the one-China
policy, understands China's concern on the issue and did not want
to see unilateral actions taken by the Taiwan authorities in their
bid to change the status quo across the strait hurting US-China
relations.
Both sides agreed that in the current international situation,
China and the United States had extensive common strategic
interests and broad prospects for reciprocal cooperation.
They agreed that a sound bilateral relationship was of strategic
significance for safeguarding and promoting peace, stability and
prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region and the world at large.
They agreed to take bilateral relationship from a strategic
height and long-term perspective and comprehensively advance
bilateral constructive and cooperative relations in the 21st
century so as to benefit the two peoples and other peoples around
the world.
They agreed to jointly push forward their reciprocal and win-win
economic and trade relations, and properly resolve existing
differences and frictions through consultations while taking into
consideration the fundamental interests of the two countries and
their peoples.
They also agreed to strengthen exchanges and cooperation in a
variety of fields, such as the military, law-enforcement, science
and technology, education, culture and youth affairs. They would
continue to conduct dialogues and cooperation on major issues such
as anti-terrorism, non-proliferation, bird flu control, energy,
environmental protection, disaster relief and maintenance of
security and stability in the Asia-Pacific region.
Both sides would continue to push forward the process of the
six-party talks on the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula and
endeavor to help settle the Iranian nuclear issue
diplomatically.
The two heads of state met with journalists and answered their
questions after their talks.
Hu arrived here on Wednesday from the US port city of Seattle to
continue his four-day state visit to the United States as Bush's
guest.
This is Hu's first state visit to the United States and Seattle
is the first stop of his US trip.
When his visit to the United States ends on Friday,
Hu will head for Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Nigeria and Kenya. .
(Xinhua News Agency April 21, 2006)
